The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, has expressed profound grief and extended condolences to the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, following the tragic loss of over 35 minors during a children’s funfair carnival in Ibadan on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by Rev’d Peter Olaleye, Special Assistant to the monarch on Media and Community Relations, the Soun described the incident as heartbreaking and prayed for divine intervention to protect the ancient city from future tragedies.
Oba Ghandi also sympathized with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, lamenting the loss of lives as a devastating blow to the community. He urged the Olubadan to take solace in divine grace, assuring that such unkind occurrences would be averted in the future.
Addressing the grieving families, the monarch prayed for divine comfort, encouraging parents and guardians to find solace in faith. He also called on medical personnel to intensify their efforts in treating injured victims to prevent further casualties, wishing them a swift recovery.
The Soun, who is marking his first coronation anniversary, commended Governor Makinde and other stakeholders for their prompt response, which he noted helped to minimize the scale of the tragedy. He also applauded security agencies for maintaining order and preventing hoodlums from exploiting the situation.
He further advised event organizers to adopt more proactive safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
